Hi Dian,
What I have learned the last couple of years from the bible commentaries and from good bible teachers is that these verses are are taken out of context most of the time- including the similar verse in Matthew 18:18 about binding and loosing. If you read the surrounding verses and see what was going on in the situation, i think they are talking more about discipline- church discipline type things- not about binding and and loosing spirits. It is funny now to see how often I catch someone trying to quote those verses using the wrong context, but now that i know and go back and read the actual context (especially regarding Matt. 18:18 and the surrounding verses)and what was going on in those verses- it is very obvious :)
The following is some info from different commentaries as well as a teaching from John Macarthur.
[b]John Gill[/b](this was the preacher who pastored Charles Spurgeons' church before Charles Spurgeon)
And whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth, shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth, shall be loosed in heaven.
This also is not to be understood of binding, or loosing men's sins, by laying on, or taking off censures, and excommunications; but only of doctrines, or declarations of what is lawful and unlawful, free, or prohibited to be received, or practised; in which sense the words, (rtwmw rwoa) , "bound and loosed", are used in the Talmudic writings, times without number, for that which is forbidden and declared to be unlawful, and for that which is free of use, and pronounced to be so: in multitudes of places we read of one Rabbi (rowa) , "binding", and of another (rytm) , "loosing"; thousands, and ten thousands of instances of this kind might be produced; a whole volume of extracts on this head might be compiled. Dr. Lightfoot has transcribed a great many, sufficient to satisfy any man, and give him the true sense of these phrases; and after him to mention any other is needless; yet give me leave to produce one, as it is short, and full, and explains these phrases, and points at the persons that had this power, explaining (Ecclesiastes 12:11) and that clause in it, "masters of the assemblies".
``these (say they F20) are the disciples of the wise men, who sit in different collections, and study in the law; these pronounce things or persons defiled, and these pronounce things or persons clean, (Nyrytm Nllhw Nyrowa) (wllh) , "these bind, and these loose"; these reject, or pronounce persons or things profane, and these declare them right.''
And a little after,
``get thyself an heart to hear the words of them that pronounce unclean, and the words of them that pronounce clean; the words of them (Nyrowa) , that "bind", and the words of them (Nyrytm) , that "loose"; the words of them that reject, and the words of them that declare it right''
But Christ gave a greater power of binding and loosing, to his disciples, than these men had, and which they used to better purpose. The sense of the words is this, that Peter, and so the rest of the apostles, should be empowered with authority from him, and so directed by his Holy Spirit, that whatever they bound, that is, declared to be forbidden, and unlawful, should be so: and that whatever they loosed, that is, declared to be lawful, and free of use, should be so; and accordingly they bound some things which before were loosed, and loosed some things which before were bound; for instance, they bound, that is, prohibited, or declared unlawful, the use of circumcision, which before, and until the death of Christ, was enjoined the natural seed of Abraham; but that, and all ceremonies, being abolished by the death of Christ, they declared it to be nothing, and of no avail, yea, hurtful and pernicious; that whoever was circumcised, Christ profited him nothing, and that he was a debtor to do the whole law: they affirmed, that the believing Gentiles were not to be troubled with it; that it was a yoke not fit to be put upon their necks, which they, and their fathers, were not able to bear, (Galatians 5:1,3,6) (Acts 15:10,19) . They bound, or forbid the observance of days, months, times, and years; the keeping holy days, new moons, and sabbaths, which had been used in the Jewish church for ages past; such as the first day of the new year, and of every month, the day of atonement, the feasts of the passover, pentecost, and tabernacles, the jubilee year, the sabbatical year, and seventh day sabbath, (Galatians 4:9,10) (Colossians 2:16,17) . They loosed, or declared lawful and free, both civil and religious conversation between Jews and Gentiles; whereas, before, the Jews had no dealings with the Gentiles, nor would not enter into their houses, nor keep company with them, would have no conversation with them; neither eat, nor drink with them; but now it was determined and declared, that no man should be called common, or unclean; and that in Christ Jesus, and in his church, there is no distinction of Jew and Gentile, (Acts 10:28) (11:2,3,18) (Galatians 3:28) . They also loosed, or pronounced lawful, the eating of any sort of food, without distinction, even that which was before counted common and unclean, being persuaded by the Lord Jesus Christ, by the words he said, (Matthew 15:11) . They asserted, that there is nothing unclean of itself; and that the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; or that true religion does not lie in the observance of those things; that every creature of God is good, and fit for food, and nothing to be refused, or abstained from, on a religious account, provided it be received with thanksgiving, (Romans 14:14,17) (1 Timothy 4:4) . And these things now being by them bound or loosed, pronounced unlawful or lawful, are confirmed as such by the authority of God, and are so to be considered by us.
[b]John Wesley[/b]
I will give thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven - Indeed not to him alone, (for they were equally given to all the apostles at the same time, 20:21,22,23;) but to him were first given the keys both of doctrine and discipline. He first, after our Lord's resurrection, exercised the apostleship, Acts 1:15. And he first by preaching opened the kingdom ofheaven, both to the Jews, Acts 2:14&c., and to the Gentiles, Acts 10:34&c. Under the term of binding and loosing are contained all those acts of discipline which Peter and his brethren performed as apostles: and undoubtedly what they thus performed on earth, God confirmed in heaven. 18:18.
[b]Matthew Henry[/b]
"Your business shall be to explain to the world the will of God, both as to truth and duty; and for this you shall have your commissions, credentials, and full instructions to bind and loose:’’ these, in the common speech of the Jews, at that time, signified to prohibit and permit; to teach or declare a thing to be unlawful was to bind; to be lawful, was to loose. Now the apostles had an extraordinary power of this kind; some things forbidden by the law of Moses were now to be allowed, as the eating of such and such meats; some things allowed there were now to be forbidden, as divorce; and the apostles were empowered to declare this to the world, and men might take it upon their words.
You can find more commentaries at Crosswalk.com :)
[b]John Macarthur[/b]
THE AUTHORITY OF ALL BELIEVERS (v. 19)
"I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. "
Here Christ was giving the disciples authority to approve (to bind) or disapprove (to loose) the actions of others. Christ spoke of that same authority in John 20:23: "Whosoever's sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whosoever's sins ye retain, they are retained. " In Matthew 18:18 Christ gave the entire church that authority by saying, "Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. " So the kind of authority Christ spoke about in Matthew 16 was given not only to Peter and the other apostles, but also to every believer.
A. Based on God's Word
All believers have that authority because God's Word reveals to us the kind of behavior God approves or disapproves of. So if you ask a man if he has received Christ as his Lord and Savior and he says yes, you can say, "Your sins are forgiven. " But if says no you can say, "Your sins aren't forgiven. " Similarly, we can say to others, "It's wrong to do that!" If what we say is based on God's Word--not on a person's title, office, human worthiness, or intelligence--we know it will concur with what's said in heaven. Because God's Word is our authority, it's important that we not compromise the truth it teaches.
B. Exercised in the Church
God has entrusted the Word to His church so it might shine as a light in the world (Matt. 5:14). When the church upholds the Word, the Lord's will is done on earth as it is in heaven (Matt. 6:9). That way the church serves as a divine pattern for the lost world to see. It has a responsibility to tell the lost about sin, righteousness, and judgment. By telling them what God's Word says, they will hear what heaven says.
Because God has given His Word to the church, the church is His authority in the world. With such divine authority, there's no need to worry about the world's reaction to the gospel message. Even though many will reject Christ, the church must never compromise the truth. Upholding the standard of His Word will bring Him the glory He deserves.
Hope this helps a bit.
Blessings, Chanin
